I did this with my piano a few years ago - I had to practically pay the rescue mission to take it away, and the whole time, I was very sad that I was giving it up. It was the *thought* of having a piano I loved...I never made time to play it, and while I loved just looking at it, it took up a lot of space that I could use for other, more useful things.

I hated to see it go - really I did. And I struggled with it just like you're struggling now. But it was a good thing, really, and I hope that it's getting more use now than it ever did with me - I just tell myself that it wasn't "fair" of me to hang on to it when someone else might really need and love it.

Hang in there - you'll be relieved once it's finally gone. :-)

Thanks Jamie: Now another person is interested, so I can't really back out now, my how word spreads.
It's tough though, I teach piano and learned to play organ first, I just don't play it any more but still can and might again. I have an acoustic piano, digital piano, and 2 keyboards, and just figured the organ is the one not being used and should go, but with my luck next month someone will call me wanting organ lessons!

Think of the room you will have once it's gone and you won't have to dust it, repair it or put clutter on it anymore.

thanks art: you're right, I dusted and decluttered it to take a picture to post with the offer, and have already put clutter back on since taking the picture.
:)

I find that sometimes the fact someone ELSE wants something makes me start to have second thoughts...even if I really and truly know I don't want it!

This happened recently. My boss never got around to giving me his annual holiday gift from Xmas 2003, until Nov. 04 (this is important later, bear with me). It was a really big box, and I opened it with my other gifts at Christmas, all excited, especially when the wrapping paper came off and I saw the Neiman Marcus box :). Until I opened that box and found this, well, this 'thing'. It was a bowl. A really really LARGE bowl. Clearly expensive, and clearly hideous. All my sisters were speechless until one said, "Well it has a vaguely Etruscan look." I am not sure even what it was made out of, probably something expensive-it was smooth and coppery colored with a lot of variation in the tones. And did I mention BIG? This thing was about the size of a small sink, I kid you not. I suppose for the right person it would have been a treasure but that person is not me. Since it was over a year old (see, told you that was relevant) I couldn't return it. None of my sisters wanted it. It could not remain in my home. After a couple of weeks I decided to take a chance and I offered it to my next door neighbor. Who promptly loved it, assured me she was going to use it at a baby shower she was holding that week (heck you could bathe a coupla babies in that thing) etc.

Okay, so after all that build up can I tell you I went home and actually thought to myself 'gee, should I have gotten rid of that bowl?' Unbelievable! I think just the fact that someone wants an object makes it more desirable...which is all to say, my advice is bid your white elephant a fond farewell and wish it new life with an appreciative owner.

Ann

LOL My exDH was the same way about me!! LOL

My first thought was for you to think about alternative uses for the space that the "beast" took up. Perhaps a small piece of furniture that you really like, etc. or just enjoy the clean, empty space!

Thanks again for your replies. I'm feeling much better about it now. The "beast" is sitting in my almost finished dining room and once it's gone we can put the rest of that room together which will also make room in the family room so we can get it painted. I'm rather excited about it all now, getting rid of one thing is going to enable us to finish 2 rooms. We've been living here over 7 months but we're redoing the whole house so it's taking a long time to get all the rooms painted etc. I've been purging like a mad person and all I can think about is all the space we'll have once the "beast" is gone and all the purging is done!

getting rid of one thing is going to enable us to finish 2 rooms.

Isn't it funny how one thing can be such as obstacle?

and you're getting rid of it! Yay!